The Irish standard., 1887-08-06
A LEGEND OF DONEGAL.
Tie Miraculous Esspe Of The
Captain Of Myste-
Iious Vessel.
A SHIP THAT NEVER RETURNED
The Captain Built a Church in Memorial Of
His Provideutial Deligerance
From Watary Grave,

/
From Watery Grave.
AS the traveller passes from the town
OF Donegal towards Kilbegs, and whel
a mile and a half from the former. hi
can observe as lie energies from tht
| closely planted wood which clothes til;
hill on the LETT and the blooming or
chard Oh his right, finely outlined ga
bic of what is undoubtedly a very an
cient rum, crowning q beautiful eui
nence, which rises gently and uniformly
from the waters Of tbs cree! before
him, and by which. his way leads
Standing alone On it's lonely little llil
it is, OF would seem TO be, the only yes
tjge remaining Of what was once neat
little church. within whose walls geDer
alton after generation met and wor-
shipped, for, as the following story
would have us to believe, over oue
thousand three hundred years Llke g
vast wreath over q single grave, close
ly planted hedge. of Towering haw
thorns surrounds the sacred little spot
on which it stands, and which contains
the graves Of most Of all who died in
the parish from time immemo1ial.
1t was a beautiful morning in the
early harvest that a strange vessel en-
tered the bay OF Donegal, The date is
very uncertain, but it is supposed to be
early in the fftb century. On her deck
stood the captain. q tall, noble-looking
fellow. with taWny, sunburned skin,
but utpossessing a. hear. full OF love and
kindly feeling AS he paced to and fro
he could not refrain from expression CT
admiration for the beauty Of The COUP
try which rose on each side Of the bay
up which he sailed. So much did he
occupy his thoughts On the beauty Of
his surroundings chat he noticed not
that the day was fast advancing, and
that q fearful storm was approaching,
and that bis ship was in strange waters,
with great. frowning cliffs and danger
GUS sand-banks ON every side. Slowly
and ma5estiealIy the stately ship glided
on past Durin Head, and for some dis
tance further up the bay, when tie
order was given to let go the anchors
and prepare to ride to their CHAINS for
the night. This was at once oheyed,
and the wandering natives heard with
alarm the clank Of the iron cables asthe
heavy anchors descended. By this time
great black banks Of angry looking
clouds began to rise, as it were, from
the sea in the West, over which the
parting beams of the fiery sun were
still streaming. Once and q while
would come q sharp cold puff Of wind
which would runle The surface OF the
deep around. and rattle the cord:sge Of
the rigging above, but the captain or
his hardy crew knew no fear, as they
deemed themselves secure and safe. at
last rudely formed cnr1agh put out
from the shore, manned by a man and
two boys. Slowly they came, and with
great caution ventured to tie side Of
the vessel, up which the captain beck
oned them to ascend. Having got on
board, the usual greetings passed be-
tween the crews and their visitors, for
each knew not q word the other said.
But the native by signs and gestures
Informed the captain he had anchored
in dangerous ground, and that a dan
gerous rock was not far above him in
the Day, but the captain had too much
faith in his anchors and he needed not
the waning. immediately the native
left, and the wind increased as the !
darkness set in. Clouds covered all the
sky, black, inky clouds which seemed |
to fall lower and lower, until they
rested on the waters around, hiding
with their cold dark folds.
High and higher rose the wind and
ierce and still more fierce che already
angry biIlows rolled and seethed and |
soamed around the ship tossing high in
;he air, from which position she would
plunge with a terrible thud into the
rough below; every hand was busy,
syery heart beat and every eye was
strained, for noW they knew that a ter
ible storm had broken over them. and
hat danger and death was pictured in
very wave. Those well braced masts,
hose weli-set yards, how firmly they
till resist the efforts of the bowling
but, alas. better had they t
,one. better had these strong pTne
nasts nipped at the deck ard gone over
'oard, than that they should be lever 4
0 snap in sunder the cables and send
he good ship on to destruction. OneI
heave, one desperate plunge,
ne sway and then another, and both{
ables are gone, and the ship is gone
90. She reels: she turns she sstaggers,
nd Whirls as if within aboiling caul- I
ron. Then one terrible crash, and she L
&, z, ~, ~ }, q